Dotonbori 道頓堀

November 17, 2014

I had a free time on this weekend from my TV Shooting Job in Japan and had a chance to start blogging about the first trip of mine in Osaka. I was invited to Osaka by Glico Company, and if you haven't really known Glico, you must have known about the famous product that they make, and I bet that everyone in this world knows about it

It is POCKY

Being one of the most famous Japanese Confectionary Snack, it strengthens its position in Osaka which is where its main office located, by having its signboard placed in one of the most famous street in Osaka, Dotonbori. Being there for almost 80 years, Glico billboard with a drawing of "a man finished a race pose" becomes the major sightseeing spot in Osaka for tourists locally, and internationally

It is my first time in Osaka and the autumn weather was pretty unpredictable. The wind was super strong and it could rain anytime, but the next hours, it was all sunny shiny.. I curled my hair perfectly for the tour provided by Glico Team, however it was gone in the next hours or so because of the troll weather

If in Tokyo, it's famous for Harajuku, Shibuya, and Akihabara, in Osaka they have Dotonburi!!

Possibly the crowdest and the most famous street in this city, which obviously makes Dotonburi a must visit in your list when you visit Osaka. It seems that the area becomes livelier when the night comes

And here's the famous sign of Glico, that becomes a part of Osaka as well. Seriously, take picture with it, with the pose, when you're here. It shows that you're really in Osaka! :D

I tried to do the same but because the rain was so hard on that day, I couldn't release my umbrella, so the pose was not complete T_____T

Strolling around Dotonburi and spotted Ninomiya on the left!~!!!

Nino also becomes the ambassador of Pocky and they were having major campaign with Nino for Pocky Day [will blog about Pocky Day on next post]

Another famous landmark in Dotonburi is also this crab house

For sure I managed to take a selfie with it

The street was somehow reminds me of Xi Men Ding in Taiwan. The usage of Kanji, a lot of red colors, but still filled with many fashionable people.. It sure brings you to different area as the ambient and surrounding are totally different than Tokyo

When in Osaka, eat Takoyaki!!

Also this Puppet is also one of the famous picture spots in Dotonburi. Don't forget to say hi to this puppet and take a picture together!

While we're around here, don't forget to get some stuffs!

I was brough to Little Osaka, an Omiyage Market that has a lot of Osaka snacks here that you can buy for souvenirs!

Best part about it? It's a tax-free shop!

Usually if you buy at other shops, they charge you 8% tax. So purchasing your souvenirs here is somehow cheaper!

And guess what, Glico products fills this store almost like 50%!! That's because there are so many Glico products available in Japan [not only Pocky], and also some Osaka limited edition as well!

Being welcomed by this Kawaii Deco Pocky sticks on the entrance

Some variants of Pocky and Pretz. I think they did really well with the packaging, it's so fun to look at!

As expected from Japan, there's always quality completed with a good appearance. As a design student, things like these always sparks my interest. You know it's nice when you can find a good snack to munch on, but even better when it's pleasant to see right?

I also think it's very important to not only have a good tasting product, because what the customer first saw is of course the outside packaging right? A++ for Japan for always living up to this demand!

And of course, the signature chocolate Pocky! Don't be scared of the price because this is the giant version. It should last you at least 2 time more than the regular pocky I guess? But if you're eating like a lady unlike me, then maybe 3-4 times LOL.

More Pretz! There are just so many of them, I'm sure you guys could find at least one that you'd wanna bring home! They aren't available in Indonesia as well, so if your family or friends are a foodie, just bring them some of these ^.^

These are curry roux. I'm guessing the difference between these two is probably the heat level? Maybe one is mild and the other is hot. I loooove making curry at home! It's simple and delicious, and I know its strange that even though the dish is Japanese, when I'm eating it back in Jakarta, the dish would still feel so home-y.

More and more Pretz! Lol this is crazy, I really want to take everything home.

Not sure what this is, but looks like a green tea flavored snack?
Care to try, anyone?

A giant candy cone!! This snack is modeled after the real ice cream cone. It has matcha chocolate coating on top, and the cone is filled with aerated chocolate in vanilla and milk flavor. I'm not a fan of too much sweet, but I can't say I'm not tempted to try!

Matcha Pocky!! Also in giant size!!

They even had their glico-man printed on these chocolate. Too precious too eat!
Not a problem though, since I don't really like chocolate I could just stare at these until it expires lol

More chocolate, this time it's a cream version. I think I know some friends who would appreciate it as a late night snack or early breakfast.

Glico donburi!! They also have many variants of this, this commercial makes me hungry btw.
Even though this is an instant meal, sometimes it could save your life if you are extremely hungry but too lazy to cook anything proper! I also found that Japanese instant food taste less artificial [or not at all] like others in the supermarket...

Me, embracing the love of my life a.k.a. the giant matcha Pocky <3

Overall, I'm really happy to shop in this place! Japanese snacks are just too cute and there are so many variants to choose from, most stuff you would not have tasted anywhere else, so it's very exciting and fun to shop for snacks. I almost never bought anything and ended up not liking it either, everything is just tasty and beautifully made. This shop also have other souvenirs from Osaka, so it's definitely a must visit!

What do you think? If you were there, what would you like to buy the most?

Of course, this is only the beginning of my entry about my most recent Japan trip. Other fun stuffs are waiting and I'll be sure to blog about it soon, one by one, so please look forward to it!

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About Me

Stella Lee is an Indonesian blogger based in Tokyo, Japan who writes about the things that she loves; mainly beauty and japan-related stuff. She juggles her schedule by being a language student, talent, influencer and beautepreneur